Favorite Recent Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction, April-June 1996
by Taleswapper
**Introduction**
This work is the latest in a series of posts I have written in
appreciation of my favorite Ranma 1/2 fan fiction posted to
rec.arts.anime.creative and its predecessor. My first post, in October
1995, comprised reviews of my favorite seven Ranma fanfics posted since
the fanfic archive moved to ftp.std.com in September 1994. Since then, I
have posted quarterly, so this is the third quarter post for Fanfic Year
1996 (my Fanfic Year ends on September 30).
This post and all three previous posts are available on the 'net, at the
AOL members' FTP site. You have to use the full pathname when you FTP or
access with a web browser, because AOL does not allow you to step through
the screen-name directories. Go figure. So you can get my first post by
accessing ftp://members.aol.com/talswapr/private/95-sep.txt. The other
files are 96-jan.txt, 96-apr.txt, and 96-jul.txt; you can also get all
four files compressed with PKZIP 2.04g in a file called allfiles.zip.
The best part of this exercise, apart from being able to broadcast my
opinions to the whole world, has been the quality of correspondence that
has resulted from my posts. I have had very enjoyable and often
enlightening exchanges with fanfic authors and fellow readers. I invite
anyone to reply by private e-mail; I will respond to all missives. I
will also try to monitor r.a.a.f. and the FFML for responses to my post,
and will reply publicly as appropriate.
**Underlying Logic (or Lack Thereof)**
The Ranma 1/2 fan fiction stories that I have identified as my
"favorites" are alike in that they have made sufficient impact on me to
encourage me to read them over again. My favorite Ranma fanfics are so
well crafted or so interesting that they draw me back for a second, a
third reading, so much there is to appreciate. The things that tend to
bring me back are expertly styled prose, natural dialogue, deep
characterization, and original plot elements. And while there are
certainly long fanfics among my favorites, I very much admire brevity,
having found that eminently skilled authors accomplish the most with the
least.
There are probably stories which have most or all of those good points,
yet are unable to elicit a re-read from me. All my judgements are
naturally subjective and some are inexplicable or arbitrary. And of
course, I occasionally change my mind (see the Addenda section below).
**April Fool!**
The response to my April 1st post was enormous; I received dozens of
e-mails. Unfortunately, most of them were simple inquiries as to where
one could find a copy of "If Only" by Sam Marco. Oh well, I suppose that
any successful April Fool's joke requires some cleaning up. Of course,
"If Only" exists only in my imagination, and there it is likely to stay.
A handful of correspondents requested that I at least provide an outline
or summary. But every time I begin to work on it, I think: if I'm going
to take the trouble to develop a skeleton, I might as well write the
whole story. After that conclusion is reached, procrastination becomes
easy.
**Addenda to Previous Posts**
This is becoming a routine part of my quarterly exercise: revising my
list of favorites either because I missed the story when it was first
posted or because I've changed my mind. The two new listings below are
examples of the latter effect. It is coincidental that both new
additions to my FY96 favorites list are from the same author.
"Normal" by Roy Rim
I always liked this fanfic and even gave it something of an "honorable
mention" in my previous post. I did not originally list it among my
favorites because it didn't have much of an impact on me. But my
deliberations on the issues involving new characters and author-based
characters prompted me to take a second look.
After further review, the charm of "Normal" became more clear to me.
Saicho's minor obsession with Ranma is realistic and its definition and
consequences are well developed through the story. The understated tone
of the story is compelling in its subtlety; a first-person narration
might have overdramatized Saicho's feelings about what he sees and what
happens to him. The dialogue, particularly Saicho's conversation with
Yoshi, while sounding authentically simple, resonates with undertones of
self-examination and the promise of self-improvement.
The fight and its aftermath are handled nicely. Most satisfying is not
the realistic outcome of the brawl, but its evolutionary, even redemptive
effect on Saicho. Clearly, there was much that I'd missed the first time
around; I'm glad I looked again.
"Split Personalities" by Roy Rim
In the case of this extended work, I must admit that I simply did not
want to admit that I like "SP." The cause of my embarrassment is
obvious: the lemon portions of the story are forced, often clumsy, and
sometimes quite ugly. There were sufficient flaws in the work apart from
the lemon content that I have been able to dismiss "SP" for more than
half a year. But no longer. After a recent re-read, I realized that
there is so much refreshingly original and clever material in the story,
I feel obligated to comment on it and to recommend its appreciation.
Unsavory lemon content notwithstading, the writing in "SP" is well above
the average for Ranma fanfics.
One of the work's strong points is dialogue. The cadence and tone of
conversations vary appropriately with whoever is conversing. Many
dialogues between Ranma and Ranko have a terse, clipped quality that
makes sense because they are essentially of one mind. There is a
sweetness that flows like background music from the conversations between
Ukyou and Ranko.
Another admirable element of "SP" is Rim's strong knowledge of the entire
manga continuity and his skillful application of that knowledge,
especially the imaginative use of underused characters like Pansuto Tarou
and Herb. That they are essential to the story's plot, and not merely
interesting supporting players, is an impressive achievement in
plotting. Rim's background story linking Pansuto and Herb is interesting
and folds nicely into the main storyline. The characterization of Lime
and Mint as a breast-fixated comedic duo is as funny as Takahashi's.
The extended fight scenes in "SP" are mostly well done, with prose that
is just descriptive enough and an added level of violence that brings
realism and tension. Ranko's duel with Herb is particularly compelling,
and the unfinished Tournament scene is one of the most exciting and well
choreographed fights in all Ranma fanfic. The free-for-all in Chapter 8
is also impressive, though in places a little too hard to follow. The
conclusion to the battle imposed by Nodoka is an ingenious touch.
Rim works the standard slapstick comedy of Ranma 1/2 very well and with
noteworthy consistency. The trick, as far as I can figure, is to let the
comic images speak for themselves, staging slapstick moments as they
appear in the manga/anime. Too often, authors embellish with extra
details that were funny once but no longer are ("Akane pulled mallet
Number 9 from hyperspace . . .") or with overreaching prose ("Ranma
turned to reply, but found that he couldn't, as Ryouga's fist was now
imbedded in his face."). Though not slapstick, the Musk Dynasty story in
the Chapter 9 prologue may be the most uproariously funny passage in all
of Ranma fanfic.
**Best Ranma Fanfics, Third Quarter, FY96**
Because no Ranma fanfics new have been processed by the
rec.arts.anime.creative moderator since mid-May, the Third Quarter was
more like an eighth. That doesn't mean, however, that there were no gems
to be found.
"Still Waters Run Deep, Part 5: Courting Chaos!" by Jeffrey Hosmer
Hosmer is a Ranma fanfic author of rare accomplishment: he has
demonstrated excellence in stories composed in both full-featured prose
("Lies" and "Girls' Night Out") and script format ("Elseworlds: Akane
1/2" and the current work). John Biles' "Still Waters" has long been one
of the few crossover fanfics I've truly enjoyed (the others are Biles'
"RanmaPunk 2033" and Benares' "A Leap and A Half" and "Predator and
Prey.") The first four parts provided a seamless, complementary blend of
the Ranma 1/2 and Urusei Yatsura universes, as well as plenty of good
Takahashi-style humor. Hosmer succeeds in maintaining the high standards.
Though "Courting Chaos" is a little low on plot, there is much in the
chapter to be appreciated. Hosmer's handling of the huge cast provides
an excellent model for other authors who want to try writing all or most
of the Ranma 1/2 characters into their stories. Too many Ranma fanfic
authors, in an attempt to give every character something noteworthy to
say or do, descend into cliches or unnatural dialogue patterns, e.g., the
writer has every single character react to everything Ranma says or
does. Hosmer avoids these traps, visiting each small grouping of
characters only when he has a specific story-advancing point to make or a
decent joke to stage. The only disappointing exception is when Shampoo
and Mousse show up at the festival.
Along similar lines, the dialogue is competent and appropriate to the
characters as originally styled, although Ranma seems a little too surly
and Ryoko too conventionally nasty. I would have liked to see some
advancement in the Ranma-Akane plotline; there really was nothing new
there. The Lum-Ataru story is nicely supplemented by the introduction of
Shampoo into the mix; I'm eager to see that particular showdown. There's
some development in Ryouga-Shinobu, though something more definitive
(what were they doing under that table?) would have been preferable. The
Nabiki-Mendou story that dominates part 4 was interesting up until
papa-san Mendou showed up; that ending was not particularly funny or
necessary, though it was good to see the possibilities left open for the
couple.
Oh, and "Martial Arts Snobbery" was a clever idea well executed.
"Revolution" and "Revolution #9" by "McKinley Morganfield"
"Revolution" is a nice little change-of-pace story. It evokes the sort
of contemplative mood that Joseph Palmer's "Seasons" cycle created,
though without Palmer's breathtaking imagery. Despite the talky content,
the story is not overly verbose; its terse dialogue has a smooth and
natural quality. The last line of the story is one of most charming I've
seen in Ranma fanfic; it has a subtle but memorable beauty.
And then you read "Revolution #9," the same story with a little added
perspective. It is twisted and sick. And irresistible. "Morganfield"
applies the same casual, slice-of-life style to the new scenes, which
gives their shocking content all the more impact. The Nabiki scene
startles, the Genma scene repulses. The author is to be congratulated
(or executed) for inventing a brand new (to me, anyway) perversion for
Kasumi's hobby. "Revolution #9" produces cathartic horror with an
intensity not achievable by graphically violent stories.
"Tales of Ranma and Nabiki" (Part 7) by Jeff Rutsch
I have little new to say about the latest installment in my favorite
extended series of the year; see my previous posts for details on what I
like about "Tales." I commend Part 7 to readers for its refreshingly
original take on Ukyou's personality and motivations.
"The Least One Could Do" (Parts 2-5) by Jeffrey Wong
I'm was a little bit disturbed about this one. Part of the charm of Part
1 of "The Least" stemmed from its stand-alone identity. The character
development (i.e., Ranma and Shori) that occurred in so short a time
demonstrated graceful, uncomplicated storytelling. The continuation of
the story diminishes the simple charm of the original, transforming the
short story into an installment in a longer story.
That is not to say that the longer story lacks charm. Indeed, many of
the strong points of Part 1 continue to resonate throughout the later
chapters. Shori remains a remarkably appealing character. The more
sensitive Ranma, enlightened by the moments shared with Shori, is also a
pleasure to read. Wong's economical yet expressive style imbues the
fanfic with an ambience of understated loveliness that is rare in
script-format stories.
Yet so many of the benefits of extending "The Least" come with a price.
The development of Akane's role, while necessary and fascinating, sets up
a contradiction: the "enlightened" Ranma reverts to old form around
Akane. It seems more likely to me that, after his initial encounter with
Shori, Ranma would be a more pleasant person for Akane to be around, even
if he were less romantically interested in his fiancee. Encouragingly,
Wong seems to be moving in that direction in Part 5.
Though Ranma's knightly rescues of the damsel in distress in Parts 2 and
3 are well scripted, the action scenes seem out of place in this talky
romance. The dramatic displays of emotions from Akane are also
inconsistent with the Part 1's subtle tone. But such perceived flaws are
mere trifles; the big picture is that I very much enjoy this continuing
fanfic. Though some lustre has been lost in the expansion, the story has
become more interesting and I eagerly await further installments and the
dramatic confrontations they likely contain. An interesting touch is the
characterization of Nabiki, unique in that she plays the counseling role
usually reserved for Kasumi.
In my opinion.
- Taleswapper
**Future Posts**
Shortly after my "Fanfic Year" ends on September 30, assuming
rec.arts.anime.creative wakes up before then, I plan to post a review of
my fourth-quarter favorites. After that, I'll be ready for the _Second_
Annual Taleswapper Awards for Best Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction (remember, once
is a fluke but twice is a tradition), wherein I will select and honor _la
creme de la creme_ from the favorite Ranma stories I have cited this
year. Right now, I intend to numerically rank the top stories, choosing
an overall favorite, which I didn't do last year. I may also make up
some award categories like last year's "best writer," "best fight scene,"
etc. In addition to the stories reviewed above, my favorites for the
year to date are:
"Regarding Ranma" by Jason Ashton
"Furinkan Summer Episode 3: Prom Madness! Will you dance with me?" by
John Walter Biles
"Dropping Anchor" by Mark Crewson
"Ranma .05 Vol. 2 Part 5: My Love Shall Never Waver" by Darren Demaine
"Daruma 1/2" by Bridget Ellen Engman
"Magical Interludes: December's End" (parts 1-6) by J.K. Hayashi
"Lies" by Jeffrey Hosmer
"The More Things Change" by Rod M.
"Honor Lost" by Paul Meaney
"Sunrise" by Nightelf
"Autumn" by Joseph Palmer
"Nightshadow" by Shannon M. Richmeyer
"Tales of Ranma & Nabiki" by Jeff Rutsch
"The Least One Can Do" by Jeffrey Wong
Below is an essay presenting my take on an issue that has become widely
discussed on the FFML and other places . . .
--------------------------------------------------------------------
**Assessment of New Fanfic Characters: The Annoyance Factor**
by Taleswapper
The subject of this essay is annoying new characters (ANCs). You know
the ones I mean: the foreign exchange students or itinerant martial
artists who show up at the Tendo Dojo, steal the story away from
Takahashi's characters, and are romantically involved with Nabiki. You
can see them coming a mile away: they often have western names or
dramatic-sounding appellations inspired by fantasy roleplaying games,
such as Nightblood, Spoonhead, or Breakwynd. Many of them have fantastic
powers, complete with "called shot" special effects ("Verdant
projectile!" Breakwynd shouted, before hocking a lunger on Ranma's
cheek.).
Often, online discussion of this topic is dominated by a sort of "common
wisdom" that was best expressed in David Bateson's "Guide to Ranma 1/2
Fan Fiction." In that excellent resource, Bateson's brief critique of
one fanfic finds fault with a new character that is "too perfect." His
commentary on another set of stories indicates some displeasure with its
"all-powerful" central character. Bateson's observations exemplify, and
perhaps even inspired, oft-repeated criticisms of ANCs and stories that
feature them.
Other discussions of ANCs center on the distaste many readers have for
authors who make themselves, or unambiguous proxies of themselves,
leading characters in Ranma fanfics. Bateson's guide aptly refers to an
example of this practice as "otaku wish fulfillment."
Certainly, unrealistic levels of perfection make for uninteresting
characters, and characters of insuperable power make for uninteresting
stories. Self-based characters, unless done very well, are boring at
best and at worst, little more than childish "play pretend" games,
indicative of unsophisticated fantasies about stepping into the TV to
live, fight, and play with Ranma & Co. Yet these flaws in
characterization, though glaring, are not at the heart of _my_ problem
with ANCs. This essay explains my own annoyance with such characters.
To identify what makes ANCs annoying to me, it is necessary to define the
reason I read and enjoy Ranma fanfics. As an enthusiastic fan of Ranma
1/2, I have collected and experienced all the manga and anime, and many
ancillary products. And I want more. So, I turn to fan fiction as a
continuation of the Ranma mythos that will not necessarily end anytime
soon, as the manga has and as the anime likely soon will.
Perhaps more importantly, fanfics expand on the Ranma mythos. They flesh
out characters who remained shallow and undeveloped in the source
material. They introduce to Ranma 1/2 mature, serious, and complex
themes that were inappropriate for the anime/manga, which were aimed
primarily at a juvenile audience. In addition, fanfics explore
fascinating what-if? scenarios by altering the established continuity or
characterization.
Simply put: I read Ranma fanfics because I very much enjoy Ranma 1/2 and
want to explore that universe more thoroughly. That is the sole reason
for my enjoyment of fanfics; I do not read them for the quality of
writing. Although, obviously, I have great appreciation for well written
fanfics, there are lots of literary sources available, other than
rec.arts.anime.creative, where I am much more likely to find excellent
fiction.
The purpose of Ranma fanfics, for me, is to enrich my vision of the Ranma
1/2 mythos in some appreciable way. Fanfics that do not adequately
address this priority, therefore, do not interest me and may annoy me.
Of course, authors have their own, completely distinct reasons for
writing, such as sharing something that is important to them, stretching
creatively, or just having fun. These are noble artistic objectives in
my estimation. But when an author's objectives for a fanfic begin to
conflict with my ideal of appreciable enhancement of the Ranma mythos, I
consider dismissing that particular work.
And so, for example, I do not enjoy most Ranma fanfics that are set
anywhere but in or near modern Japan. No matter how well such stories
are written, they depart so far from the source material that they create
a _new_ mythos, with only coincidental similarities to the universe I
enjoy. Such enormous departures lack the appeal of the much simpler
changes at the root of such excellent fanfics as the "Elsewhere" series
or "Tales of Ranma and Nabiki." While stories transposing Ranma & Co. to
ancient Greece or outer space may be objectively good, they don't meet my
needs and I'll spend little time reading them.
By the same token, newly created characters who distract from the Ranma
1/2 mythos repulse my interest and may fuel my annoyance. These ANCs can
distract by introducing plotlines and story elements that are in discord
with the Ranma 1/2 milieu. Discordant elements include stories that are
totally separate from, but forcibly integrated with, the Ranma 1/2
milieu. Additional discord is inflicted by ANCs who make repeated
cultural references that are alien to the Ranma 1/2 universe. Such
material is often the mark of author-based characters, who typically
insist on introducing Ranma & Co. to the author's favorite songs, TV
shows, hobbies, etc.
It is important to emphasize that new characters _per se_ do not
necessarily distract and annoy. Indeed, characters that are especially
created by a fanfic author for a specific story can enhance the work by
providing new perspectives and otherwise surmounting the limits of the
original Ranma 1/2 cast. Some of my favorite stories involve such
characters, such as Shori in "The Least One Can Do," whose budding
romance with Ranma opens up new possibilities in the existing Ranma 1/2
continuity. When authors create and insert new characters into Ranma
fanfics, they are attempting to meet some objective that could not easily
be accomplished using only the original characters or throwaway
"extras." Among the most important of these possible objectives is the
authors' desire to put a little bit more of themselves and their creative
energy into the work. And so, new characters may reflect the thoughts of
the author, may address issues the author wants raised, or may play
important roles that the author thinks cannot be performed by any of the
original anime/manga characters.
And of course, these goals are fine by me. I am disappointed, however,
when an author uses a new character to bring in story elements that have
no (or only passing) relevance to the Ranma universe story that I was
looking for. In such situations, the author is taking an unrelated story
they want to tell and force-fitting it into the Ranma 1/2 milieu. In
such cases, the new characters who are the vehicles for intrusive story
elements become annoying to me.
ANCs are inserted to achieve goals that I can't abide, such as showcasing
ideas that don't seem to mesh well with any semblance of the Ranma 1/2
universe. The more alien the idea is to the existing Ranma 1/2 milieu,
the more likely it will intrude, distract, and annoy. These alien story
elements often take the form of relationships between different ANCs.
When one new character shows up at the Tendo dojo, he at least has the
potential for smooth integration into the Ranma universe. This
potential, however, crumbles very quickly when the author introduces
other new characters who have prior relationships with the first new guy,
necessitating the telling of stories and the exploration of motivations
that have nothing to do with Ranma 1/2. Annoying.
So "perfection" and "power" are not necessarily defining characteristics
of an ANC. More importantly, ANCs becomes no less offensive merely
because an author adds flaws, weaknesses, or other realistic touches to
their characterization.
Now, I'll admit a prejudice that affects my reading of Ranma fanfics.
Like most prejudices held by intelligent people, it is based less on
reason and more on experiences that outweigh contradictory evidence
available to the prejudger. My prejudice: new characters who happen to
be of western origin are always annoying.
Don't get me wrong. Some of my best friends are westerners. Actually,
all of my best friends are westerners. Actually, so am I.
Occidental new characters are automatically annoying to me because, by
definition, their involvement in the fanfic introduces story elements
that are alien to the established Ranma 1/2 universe. When I read a
Ranma fanfic featuring a western character, I immediately ask myself, Why
did he have to be western? Typically, the answer is an annoying one:
because the author wanted to incorporate some idea or plotline that could
not be easily incorporated by a Japanese or Chinese character. Such
ideas or plotlines are literally foreign to the Ranma milieu and
therefore, not what I am looking for. Undisguised author-based
characters are the most obvious "offenders." If authors take the trouble
to inject themselves into Ranma fanfic, then adequate characterization
demands a generous helping of western attitudes, ideas, and culture.
Annoying.
I have encountered no evidence to contradict my prejudice. Some western
characters have such minor roles that they are relatively unintrusive; a
good example is the witch in John Biles' "Putting Your Heart in the Right
Place." More often, however, such characters are the focus of the fanfic
and so its value for me begins to approach zero.
After all this discussion of what I don't like in new characters, I feel
obliged to specify some elements that go into original Ranma fanfic
characters that I enjoy. An effective way to do that is to remark on one
particularly well conceived character: Juyza Shiratori from "Juyza's
Lyric" by Stephan Gagne.
Statements in the author's notes and hints in the actual story make clear
that Juyza is to a great extent an author-based character. There is no
doubt, moreover, that Shiratori is the unchallenged star of and focus of
the fanfic. And while he is not perfect and has no comic-book
superpowers, he definitely has skills that enable him to hold his own:
Juyza is able to fend for himself and even to "defeat" Ranma, Akane,
Ryouga, and Azusa by employing intelligence and some technological savvy.
The important distinction between Gagne's avatar and the vast population
of fanfictional Furinkan High foreign exchange students is this: Juyza
clearly _belongs_ in the Ranma 1/2 universe. Gagne not only made the
character Japanese, he gave his creation a simple, but effective
backstory within the existing continuity. By making Juyza a relative of
one of Takahashi's one-shot characters, Gagne provided a firm grounding
in the Ranma 1/2 universe while still allowing himself plenty of freedom
to develop the character and his story.
Although Juyza is not a complete simulacrum of the author, Gagne did
invest the character with genuine emotional content that is likely
Gagne's own. This level of authenticity, perhaps even honesty, is
lacking in the author-based ANCs that draw so much criticism from fanfic
readers. Again, the issue is not Juyza's lack of perfection or power,
but rather the _bona fide_ nature of Juyza's thoughts, motivations, and
reactions. The first-person, journal-style narrative of "Juyza's Lyric"
is a decidedly successful vehicle for the type of fidelity that readers
like me demand from author-based characters. As we read about how Juyza
feels and how he acts on those feelings, we can't help but be drawn into
his situation. We imagine ourselves in his place, even if we don't
particularly admire his personality or maturity. I've never imagined
myself in the place of any author-based character who shows up at the
Tendo dojo to learn Anything Goes Martial Arts.
Further evidence of Juyza's intimate link with his creator are such
"western" elements as an affinity for trendy "grunge" heavy metal music
and immersion in Internet culture. Yet while these story elements raised
some concern for me, they are readily acceptable because they fit very
securely into a Ranma 1/2 story that I considered worth telling; Gagne
did not merely throw in mentions of grunge and Internet for the sake of
sharing with readers things that were important in his life. Rather,
these elements served clearly identifiable purposes in the story. Juyza's
musical tastes stand as an important contrast to his sister's obsession
with "cute" and become a focal point in their peaceful coexistence.
E-mail access becomes important in the buildup to Juyza's climactic
confrontation with Ukyou.
I think Gagne has overdramatized his story by describing it as "dark" and
has misrepresented his character's distress as "angst." But he has
created as memorable an original character as we are likely to ever see
in Ranma 1/2 fan fiction. More to the point, while there are elements of
Juyza Shiratori's personality that would seem offensive were he real, as
a fanfic character, Juyza does not annoy.
In my opinion.
- Taleswapper